146 Cornell Extension Bulletin 9 



growers, who were attracted by the new Lemoinei group, and corms of 

 G. Leichtlinii Hort. passed into other hands. The stock was purchased 

 in 1884 (Childs says 1887) by V. H. Hallock, who continued to raise 

 seedHngs until 1891, when he sold the entire stock to John Lewis Childs. 

 Until that time these gladioli were usually known as G. Leichtlinii, after 

 the originator; but as none of the stock was in the hands of commercial 

 growers, Childs decided to change the name of the group to G. Childsii, 

 and under this name he sent out the following varieties in 1893: Ben 

 Hur, Columbia, Dr. Sellew, Henry Gilhnan, Mrs. Beecher, William 

 Falconer. These were shown in a color plate in Childs' catalog for the 

 year mentioned. The price was one dollar per corm, or five dollars for 

 the set of six varieties. In 1894 the varieties Aurea Superba, Mrs. La 

 Mance, Ruby, Splendor, Torchlight, and Tuxedo were added. No 

 varieties were added the following year, but in 1896 thirty-four varieties 

 were introduced. Thirteen were added in 1897, seventeen in 1898, and 

 twelve in 1899. 



Since 1899 many varieties have been sent out, and, while it is probable 

 that at present there is not a distinct Childsii group except in so far as 

 it is represented by some of the original varieties remaining in the market, 

 it can be safely said that this group revolutionized gladiolus culture in 

 America. Although the first varieties sent out were not favorably received 

 by European and some American growers, nevertheless the general superi- 

 ority of these varieties to the gandavensis varieties was recognized, and 

 G. Childsii served as a foundation for further improvement by American 

 hybridizers. 



G. Colvillei is generally regarded as a hybrid between G. cardinalis 

 and G. tristis var. concolor. Dean Herbert thought it was a hybrid between 

 G. cardinalis and G. blandus. The variety originated with Mr. Colville 

 at Chelsea in 1823. Sweet (1826-27) states that it was raised by Colville 

 from seeds of G. concolor that had been fertilized by the pollen of G. 

 cardinalis. He publishes a color plate of the flowers and gives the 

 following description of the plant: 



Stem slightly flexuose (in our specimen about 18 inches in height), leafy, slightly 

 angular, glaucous. Flowers secund or all facing one side. Perianthium tubular, 

 ringent with a six-parted spreading limb, of a bright red, with pale purple margins; 

 tube scarcely as long as the spathe in the lower flowers and rather longer in the upper 

 ones, bent forward near the limb; lacinise unequal, obtuse, upper one more than double 

 the size of the others, elliptic, slightly twisted or incurved near the point, the others 

 oblong with the margins also incurv-ed or involute near the points; three lower ones 

 marked with a white spot which is lanceolate in the lower one and ovate in the others 

 running down in a narrow line to the base of the lacinias, on each side of which it is 

 bright purple. Pollen white. 



Baker (1892) describes this hybrid as having "bright scarlet sub-erect 

 flowers, with oblong acute segments, with a lanceolate blotch of bright 



